Tomislav Sertić

Tomislav Sertić (21 December 1902 – 27 September 1945) was a member of the Croatian World War II Ustaše regime in charge of the Independent State of Croatia during World War II.

He was born in Udbina on 21 December 1902. He finished business school in Dubrovnik, and further completed military training in Belgrade in 1923. He later served in the army of the Kingdom of Yugoslavia where he gained the rank of Major in 1939.

In 1941 he became the commanding officer of the 1st Ustaša Regiment. In 1944 he became a Domobran general.

He was suspected of participating in the Lorković-Vokić coup in 1944, which attempted to align the state with the Allied powers. Unlike some others, he was not arrested.

At war's end he was captured by the British and delivered to Partisans and on 27 September 1945 was executed by order of a military court in Belgrade, in spite of the appeal of Archbishop A. Stepinac. According the British F.O. document R.16394 (Deakin's telegram nr.1729 from Belgrade) not a war criminal.

Sertić was awarded the honorary title of Vitez ("knight") upon receiving the Order of the Crown of King Zvonimir, and as such the title is often included with his name.

Sources

• General vojske NDH Tomislav Sertić (Croatian)